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Posts Made By: jess tauber

April 29, 2006 12:53 AM Forum: Politics

Rush to Judgement

Posted By jess tauber
That's right, our old pal Rush Limbaugh is going to court. I guess being on the Right isn't gonna protect him this time (though some pundits think he'll walk away from this one...). Come to think of it I can think of another substance abusing Right Winger who could stand a little jail time himself.

Jess Tauber

April 29, 2006 08:41 PM Forum: Politics

And now for Plan B...

Posted By jess tauber
OK so now a grand jury is apparently looking into possible impropriety at the Food and Drug Administration during the tenure of acting commissioner Lester Crawford. You may remember how the FDA dragged its heels on making a decision about the Plan B contraceptive/abortifacent (take your pick).

Apparently Mr. Crawford has decided not to testify, on advice of counsel, thus avoiding self incrimination re statements made to Congress about the matter. Not to mention that he may also have been involved in some minor illegal financial transactions. But heck, what are laws except annoying inconveniences when it comes to the ultraconservative/religious right agenda and the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition?

See the original blurb here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ex_fda_chief

Jess Tauber

April 29, 2006 09:25 PM Forum: Politics

Defend Science

Posted By jess tauber
I just learned about this site from the BadAstronomy.com pages. I guess scientists are beginning to take action against the **** currently in power in the US. 'Bout time, too.

See http://www.defendscience.org/

Jess Tauber

May 10, 2006 06:56 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Linking two diagonals- path shortening?

Posted By jess tauber
Has anyone any experience taking two diagonals, cutting their barrels down to reduce light path, and linking them so they can rotate at the link? Thanks.

Jess Tauber

May 11, 2006 06:08 PM Forum: Politics

This Thread May Be Monitored By The NSA

Posted By jess tauber
Remember the 'meaning of 'is' is' argument from a couple of years ago? The semantics of semantics may allow the NSA and the President to claim that nobody is listening to average Americans' phone calls- but of course this might not cover automated keyword recognition systems. After all, such a system would literally be 'nobody'.

Jess Tauber

May 12, 2006 04:30 AM Forum: Politics

I've Got Youuuuu, Buuuuush!

Posted By jess tauber
Has anyone else noticed the more than slight resemblance between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the late Sonny Bono. I keep thinking he has an ex-wife hidden somewhere named Cherazade... The absence of their lesbian daughter is understandable, though- she was publicly executed.

Iran of course only wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes. May the peace of the Prophet drift slowly down upon you.

Jess Tauber

May 16, 2006 12:54 AM Forum: Mounts

What is this goop?

Posted By jess tauber
I have an old ITE tripod whose head leaked very thick fluid all over the place- it can be scraped off, but the residue seems to be a bit refractory to cleaning with soap and water. What is this chemically, and what will take it off clean and not leave anything behind? Thanks. Jess Tauber

May 23, 2006 02:57 PM Forum: Mounts

Question about my legs...

Posted By jess tauber
A fellow Astromarter suggested that rather than simply replacing my CG5 aluminum legs with steel I go to a wooden surveyor tripod and put the mount on that- anyone know how thick the legs/halves etc. have to be to be able to take given loads? I use my CG5 for both an 8 in. short reflector and a 6 in. F/8 refractor. Thanks.

Jess Tauber

May 24, 2006 02:24 AM Forum: Telescope Making

giant old fashioned metal mirror?

Posted By jess tauber
In the days before precision glass mirror-making metal mirrors were the norm- some quite large. What kind of figure did they have and keep? What would they be like using today's figure types (such as wave or Strehl values)? I'm already aware of their tendency to tarnish, which upon repolishing might significantly alter the figure.

What kind of images would they be able to give (say, of near galaxies) if one had one with a diameter of six feet, versus a modern glass mirror of same figure and size?

Jess Tauber

May 24, 2006 06:51 AM Forum: Telescope Making

logarithmic lens?

Posted By jess tauber
Theoretical exercise- ASSUMING near perfect transmission/reflection, could one create a logarithmic spiral lens/prism (these always have the same angle of reflection for every ray that enters the system, all the way to the end)? A z-axis could be added (like an elongated snail shell) but I can't visualize what this would do to the image (other than rotate it)- the extra axis allows easier access for an eyepiece.

What the logarithmic spiral (which is very strongly related to the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Mean, thus everything DaVinci Code (Descartes first mathematically characterized them, and Bernoulli had one engraved on his tombstone!) should be doing is acting both as a light-path shortener (the prism 'angle' if you will..), and a focusing agent.

Problems arise because of large numbers of reflections needed (though can the angle defining the curve be optimized for different glass or other material types- then the entire unit could simply be ground or molded) if simply a mirrored unit, or from absorption and other effects if solid material (and prism-like).

Anyway, apparently people have built a big radio scope using this idea, but I haven't been able to find ANY refs on the WWW to optical telescope potential.

Ideas?

Jess Tauber

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